


Whumptober 2020 - 21 - Intervention

by Celticgal1041



Series: Whumptober 2020 [21]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Chronic Pain, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:29:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27139400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celticgal1041/pseuds/Celticgal1041
Summary: “Promise me you’ll never let yourself keep hurting like this again,” she whispered next to his ear.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949548
Comments: 13
Kudos: 51
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 2020 - 21 - Intervention

It had been three months since what he liked to think of now simply as “the Hannah incident”; it was a far kinder way to label the confrontation in his mind than the reality of what had happened, namely that his former love had tried to kill him. He knew it was a form of deflection, of avoiding having to deal with the truth that whatever feelings they’d once held for one another were truly and irrevocably gone, but he couldn’t seem to summon enough energy to care.

The first weeks after he’d been shot had been filled with time spent with friends, and Magnum wondered at one point whether Rick, TC and Higgins had created a schedule to make sure he was never alone. On those rare instances when none of the three were around, Kumu always was; even Katsumoto took his turn at ‘Thomas sitting’ on the odd occasion.

While he appreciated their intentions, their presence and frequent attempts to get him to talk about what had happened ran counter to his desire to put the whole thing behind him as quickly as possible. If that meant some unhealthy coping mechanisms, that mostly centred on ignoring the incident and pushing the associated memories into a box, then so be it.

As part of his efforts to put the event behind him as quickly as possible, he threw himself into the process of rehabbing his shoulder just as soon as he’d been cleared to do so by his doctor. The routine of strengthening and stretching exercises were a welcome escape, keeping his mind occupied with nothing more than the technique required to perform the exercises correctly and with as little discomfort as possible.

Of course, the limited exercises were never enough, and he itched to get back into the water as soon as possible. When he was cleared for more strenuous exercise six weeks after he’d been shot, he spent an hour on the surf ski, sore but with a new sense of calm that had eluded him until now. Finding solace in his time on the water, he gradually increased his time and distance, until the ache in his shoulder grew too sharp to ignore.

Though he loathed taking pain relievers, he soon found himself with no choice, his upper arm throbbing so loudly that it kept him up at night. His friends had taken notice too, observing how frequently he rubbed at the tender joint and avoided using his left arm whenever possible. That was why he shouldn’t have been surprised to find his living room occupied after he’d showered, strolling out with just a towel around his waist as he came to grab a cup of coffee.

“What?” he stammered out when he spotted his friends lounging on various pieces of furniture. “Did we have something planned that I forgot about?” He asked, searching his brain for a valid reason to explain everyone’s presence.

“We need to talk about your injury,” Higgins replied, not put off at all by Magnum’s lack of clothing.

Thomas’ gaze went from one person to the next, seeing determination painted on all their expressions. Huffing out a mirthless laugh, he asked, “Is this an intervention or something?”

“Something like that,” Rick replied with a grin, knowing that while his friend would be annoyed, he’d ultimately recognize the underlying concern that prompted their actions. His eyes shifted to the fresh scar on Magnum’s shoulder, lingering for a moment too long and making the investigator fidget uncomfortably.

“Maybe I should get dressed first,” he said, suddenly feeling unbalanced and far too vulnerable.

With a smile, Kumu called after him, “No need to change what you’re wearing on our account.” The comment drew soft laughter from those gathered while Magnum blushed, retreating quickly to his bedroom to find some clothes.

When he returned, TC handed him a cup of coffee, giving Magnum a pointed look when he took the cup in his right hand. “It’s time, man,” he said softly, one hand resting gently on the investigator’s damaged shoulder.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Magnum scanned the room, seeing the same determined expressions on everyone’s faces. “You’ve all talked about this?” he asked, receiving nods in reply. “It’s only been three months and some residual soreness is normal.”

A look of sorrow crossed TC’s face as he applied pressure to the former SEAL’s damaged shoulder. The reaction was immediate, Magnum gasping in pain and nearly dropping his cup of coffee.

“What the hell, Theodore,” Thomas glared at him as he ripped himself from the other man’s hold.

“That’s not residual soreness,” Calvin replied unrepentantly, needing the other man to understand the seriousness of the situation.

Checking his watch, Rick stood in preparation to leave. “Drink up, Tommy. You’ve got an appointment at the hospital in forty-five minutes.”

Unable to resist rolling his eyes as he asked, “And I assume you’ll be driving me?”

“Hell no,” Wright replied with a grin on his face. “Big party last night at the club that had me up until 4AM. I’m heading home to get some sleep.”

Magnum’s gaze shifted to TC next, who was already shaking his head. “I’ve got a tour booked in just over an hour, but I’ll catch up with you once I land to hear what the doctor said.”

“So, you’re trusting me to go on my own,” Thomas asked, a bit of hope creeping into his tone at the thought that he might not actually have to follow through with the appointment.

“Not as far as we can throw you, brother,” Calvin replied, motioning towards the ladies with his chin.

As realization dawned, Magnum let out a long sigh, his head dropping momentarily until the action pulled at his damaged shoulder muscles. Seeing his wince of pain, Higgins took charge. “Alright then, the Range Rover is waiting. Let’s be off, shall we?”

Rick and TC headed out, throwing waves over their shoulders, confident their friend was in good hands. Meanwhile, Kumu took the empty cup from Thomas’ hand, placing it on the kitchen counter before looping her arm through his. “Walk with me,” she said sweetly, in a way she knew Magnum would be unable to resist.

Giving her a half-hearted smile in return, he allowed himself to be led to the car, opening the door for Kumu before climbing into the back seat. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad, he thought to himself, once again absently rubbing his sore shoulder.

His eyes met Higgins’ in the rear-view mirror, prompting him to drop his hand to his lap. Reading his discomfort, she explained, “The doctor will be running some tests when you arrive, including an X-ray and possibly an MRI. While some residual soreness is normal, as you mentioned, he’s concerned that your shoulder is continuing to give you this much trouble.”

Magnum gave a one-sided shrug as he replied, “It hasn’t really been that troubling.”

“You’ll forgive me if I disagree,” she countered, her gaze this time landing on the yellowing bruise running along his jawline.

Suddenly self-conscious, he ran the tips of his fingers along the bruise, still feeling the last vestiges of tenderness in the damaged flesh. It had happened nearly a week prior when he and Higgins had given chase to a suspect in Magnum’s latest case. While they’d caught up with the man relatively easily, restraining him had been another story, and he and Thomas had traded several blows before Juliet had shifted things in their favour.

He’d seen their suspect preparing the strike to his face and had begun raising his left arm to block the blow, but the ache and stiffness in the recovering muscles had seized, preventing him from completing the motion. The hit had landed and had him seeing stars, his senses knocked offline for several long seconds before he could recover. Thankfully, Higgins had interjected herself by then and had their suspect well in hand by the time he’d reclaimed his hold on reality.

Magnum let out a small huff, which was as close as he was willing to go to agreeing with Higgins’ comment. Apparently, it was enough as his reaction tugged Juliet’s lips upward into a smile.

Far too soon, they were pulling into the hospital’s parking lot, Higgins stopping the Rover on one side nearest the entrance. As though they’d rehearsed it, Kumu opened her door to exit as she said, “Come along, Thomas.” When both passenger doors were closed, Juliet pulled away to park the vehicle, no doubt planning to meet them inside.

Once more, Magnum found himself being led by the older woman, with no ability to resist her demands. She steered them directly to the admissions’ desk, announcing to the woman behind the counter, “Thomas Magnum here to see Dr. Koaloa.”

Checking her system, the woman confirmed the appointment and then reached for a clipboard with some papers already attached. Handing it over to Thomas, she instructed, “Fill out the first two pages, sign at the bottom, and bring them back when you’re done.”

Snagging the clipboard before Magnum could, Kumu led them to some nearby seats. “Alright,” she said as she pulled out a pen and scanned the first page. “Rate your level of discomfort on a scale of 1 to 10.” Her pen hovering over the page, she waited for Thomas to reply.

“Ah, two,” he answered, earning himself a raised eyebrow from his friend. “Okay, maybe a three, three and a half tops.”

“Thomas,” she began, her tone stern. “The doctor can’t help you if you’re not truthful with your answers.”

Sighing, he tried again, “Most days it’s between a six and seven.”

Mollified, Kumo wrote down his response and then moved to the next question. “How long have you been experiencing this level of discomfort?”

Giving another one-sided shrug, he replied, “A couple weeks?”

Hardening her expression, she asked, “Are you telling me or asking me?”

“Maybe a month,” he replied, prompting Kumu to sigh loudly and put down her pen.

“Have you already forgotten what I said about the doctor needing accurate information to treat you?” she queried.

Frustration painted Magnum’s features. He didn’t mean to be difficult, but he’d rather be anywhere but here. Hospitals had never been at the top of his list of places to visit, and he’d spent way more time in them than he’d care to admit. Surely, this wasn’t necessary, and his shoulder would improve on its own.

As if reading his mind, Kumu reached over and took his hand. “Thomas, it’s been long enough that your shoulder should have healed. I know this is the last place in the world you want to be, and there’s probably still some part of you that thinks you can just push through this, but I don’t think that’s the case.”

Magnum shifted his gaze away from Kumu’s, unable to see the caring and concern etched on her face lest he be swayed by her words. The older woman gently gripped his chin, forcing him to look at her. “If you won’t do this for yourself, will you please do it for us?”

Thomas’ brow furrowed in confusion at the odd request, prompting Kumu to continue. “We’ve been watching you suffer for weeks, and your last case made it clear that you’re in real danger of not being able to defend yourself.” She saw the automatic stiffening of his shoulders, and hurried to add, “Or defend your friends.” Magnum seemed to deflate at her words, which had been Kumu’s intent; while he might willingly put himself in danger, he would never do the same to those he cared for.

“You win, Kumu,” he sighed, knowing he’d been outmanoeuvered.

Cupping his cheek with one hand, she smiled at him, her expression filled with affection for the man she’d informally adopted as part of her family. “There’s no winners or losers when we’re both on the same side,” she replied.

Getting a nod from the man, she returned to the forms. “How long have you been experiencing this level of discomfort?”

“Since I was shot,” he admitted, resigned to be honest. “It never really went away and only got worse once I resumed my regular activities.”

Kumu tutted quietly but didn’t make any other comment. “How often do you manage your discomfort with prescription pain medication?”

“Almost every night,” he replied softly, scrubbing a hand down his face. “I can’t really sleep otherwise because it’s hurts so bad.”

With an expression of sympathy on her face, Kumu laid the clipboard down on the seat next to her. Moments later, Magnum found himself wrapped in her warm and comforting embrace. “Promise me you’ll never let yourself keep hurting like this again,” she whispered next to his ear.

He nodded against her shoulder, hugging her back with his good arm. “I promise.”

“Thank you,” she replied as she released him, a contented look on her face. Her expression momentarily surprised him, but the feeling melted away almost at once with the realization that he was as important to them as they were to him and he owed it to them not to cause them additional worry.

Taking Kumu’s hand in his own, he locked gazes with her as he said, “No, thank you for reminding me of how families work.”

The bright smile that Magnum’s words had elicited was still firmly in place when Higgins found them sitting in companionable silence in the waiting room.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to AZGirl for proofing; all remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> This story was based on the day 21 prompt: I don’t feel so well: chronic pain / hypothermia / infection
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined!


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